The Key To Successful Labrador Obedience Training
If you are looking for the perfect pet for your family, a Labrador retriever just might fit the bill. There are many reasons why this breed has constantly topped lists of the most popular family dog, including their friendliness, playfulness and loyalty to their families. However, Labs that come home from the breeder as cute bundles of fur will quickly grow into dogs that can weigh more than sixty pounds.
Training a Labrador doesn′t have to be an unpleasant challenge for you or your dog. This breed is extremely intelligent and eager to please, making it a good candidate for effective obedience training. However, these dogs can also be a bit strong-willed, meaning that if you don′t show your Lab who is boss in the house right from the beginning, he may very well try to run the show himself.
Much of Labrador obedience training has to do with teaching your dog respect for the alpha dog in the household - who happens to be you. Once you have established the proper pecking order in your home, your Lab puppy will be much more likely to acquiesce to your authority with prompt obedience.
Labrador obedience training needs to incorporate respect, but it doesn′t do so using harsh, punitive methods - unless you want a dog that is afraid of you and prone to snapping and biting others. Labs respond best to training that is encouraging and positive, and loaded with rewards instead of punishment. Your Lab will enjoy positive training sessions because it allows him to spend quality time with you as he exercises his mind and body to follow your commands and please you. You can begin with basic commands like sit and stay and gradually move onto more complex instructions as you and your dog develop a positive relationship and he learns to follow your instructions.
While you are busy enforcing those rules, keep in mind that positive Labrador obedience training that incorporates plenty of praise and rewards will generally be much more effective than sessions that utilize punishment as a form of motivation. Because these dogs are very eager to please their masters, praise will work very well to get these dogs to obey your commands.
Labrador obedience training with a very young dog should be limited to just a few minutes, and should include lots of praise and rewards. When your dog is first learning a command, keep distractions to an absolute minimum to ensure that you have your puppy’s full attention.
Training distractions can include bouncing a ball while you instruct him, squeaking a toy or tossing biscuits around him. Begin with basic commands like sit, stay and fetch. Give your dog the command, and then be ready to praise him as soon as he complies. Repeat the command a few times with rewards or praise every time he obeys. Release your pup from his training session after a few simple repetitions, and spend some time playing with him afterward.
While rewards should initially come to a pup that sits for only a second or two, later sessions should require that your dog obeys for longer periods of time, and even when he cannot see your face or you are at a distance. By investing the time and effort in proper Labrador obedience training at the beginning, you will enjoy many happy years of companionship with your pet.
